Benthic macrofaunal community condition in the Southern California Bight, 1994-2003

To assess benthic macrofaunal community condition in Southern California, 838 sites were sampled using spatially random designs in 1994, 1998, or 2003. Benthic community condition was assessed on a four-category scale and the area in each category estimated. Overall, benthic macrofauna in Southern California were in good condition during 2003, with 98% of the area in reference condition or deviating only marginally. There was no evidence of disturbance near Channel Islands or small wastewater discharges, and virtually none on the mainland shelf. In contrast, bay and estuary macrofaunal communities were more frequently disturbed with nearly 13% of the area supporting disturbed benthos. The condition of the mainland shelf did not change substantially over the 9-year period, with 1.6-2.8% of the area in poor benthic condition. Southern California benthic condition evaluations may be improved by extending the depth and salinity ranges of assessment tools, and improving trend detection methods.     

Influence of road network and population demand assumptions in evacuation modeling for distant tsunamis

Tsunami evacuation planning in coastal communities is typically focused on local events where at-risk individuals must move on foot in a matter of minutes to safety. Less attention has been placed on distant tsunamis, where evacuations unfold over several hours, are often dominated by vehicle use and are managed by public safety officials. Traditional traffic simulation models focus on estimating clearance times but often overlook the influence of varying population demand, alternative modes, background traffic, shadow evacuation, and traffic management alternatives. These factors are especially important for island communities with limited egress options to safety. We use the coastal community of Balboa Island, California (USA), as a case study to explore the range of potential clearance times prior to wave arrival for a distant tsunami scenario. We use a first-in–first-out queuing simulation environment to estimate variations in clearance times, given varying assumptions of the evacuating population (demand) and the road network over which they evacuate (supply). Results suggest clearance times are less than wave arrival times for a distant tsunami, except when we assume maximum vehicle usage for residents, employees, and tourists for a weekend scenario. A two-lane bridge to the mainland was the primary traffic bottleneck, thereby minimizing the effect of departure times, shadow evacuations, background traffic, boat-based evacuations, and traffic light timing on overall community clearance time. Reducing vehicular demand generally reduced clearance time, whereas improvements to road capacity had mixed results. Finally, failure to recognize non-residential employee and tourist populations in the vehicle demand substantially underestimated clearance time.     

STARE Results on a Single Field: Tens of New Pulsating Stars

We present preliminary results on variable stars of aSTARE's three month observational run centered at the Cygnus constellation.A total amount of aprox. 14000 stars with 9^2 FOV, have been analyzed to obtainlightcurves for each of these stars.The data spans for 90 nights.In this single field, we detect more that 40 stars withpulsation modes between 5 and 40 c/d, the vast mayoritypreviously unknown to be variables.     

THE DECLINE OF PARTY VOTING: A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE 1978 MASSACHUSETTS ELECTION

A factor analysis of the 1978 Massachusetts election is undertaken to investigate whether the alleged decline of political parties in the United States can be distinguished at the state scale. Four factors are identified, two of which relate to the voting patterns of state-wide candidates. The main factor is easily seen to represent a “party voting”pattern and the fourth factor suggests a nonparty pattern of support associated with the Democratic candidate for governor, Edward King. It is suggested that this separation of the voting pattern for Democratic candidates may possibly reflect party decomposition in Massachusetts.     

Multiple Foliations Defined by Different Sillimanite Crystal Habits, Partial Melting and the Late Metamorphic Development of the Cannington Ag-Pb-Zn Deposit, Northeast Australia

A succession of foliations defined by different sillimanite-bearing structural fabrics suggests that the macroscopic, isoclinal synform that dominates the geometry of the Cannington Ag-Pb-Zn deposit, northwest Queensland, Australia formed during D₂. The five foliations in this succession, S₁ to S₅, are defined by aligned sillimanite with habits ranging from individual crystals in S₁ through S₄ to clusters of fibrolite in S₅ in both the matrix and as inclusion trails within garnet and gahnite (Zn-rich spinel) porphyroblasts. S₁, S₃ and S₅ formed as sub-horizontal foliations, whereas S_1a, S₂ and S₄ formed sub-vertically. Foliation intersection/inflexion axes (FIAs) within garnet and gahnite porphyroblasts preserve a succession of trends that shifts from W-E to N-S. This succession indicates that this region experienced N-S followed by W-E bulk crustal shortening. N-S shortening occurred during D₁and D_1a, and W-E shortening occurred from D₂ to D₅. Prismatic and rhombic sillimanite produced during D₁-D₄ accompanied prograde metamorphism to ca. 634 62°C and 4.8 1.3 kbar. The coexistence of fibrous, prismatic and rhombic sillimanite resulted from post peak metamorphic reactivation of the early foliations during D₅. The synformal D₂ fold was intensified during D₄ by W-E bulk shortening. Local partial melting occurred after D₁ in the appropriate bulk rock compositions, based on calculation of P-T pseudosections in the chemical systems KFMASH, KFMASHTO, NCKFMASH and MnNCKFMASH. Zn mineralization related to gahnite growth occurred during D₃ through D₄, and was redistributed by partial melting into structural and rheological sites during D₄ and D₅shearing.     

The major-ion composition of Permian seawater

The major-ion (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SO₄²⁻, and Cl⁻) composition of Permian seawater was determined from chemical analyses of fluid inclusions in marine halites. New data from the Upper Permian San Andres Formation of Texas (274-272 Ma) and Salado Formation of New Mexico (251 Ma), analyzed by the environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) method, along with published chemical compositions of fluid inclusions in Permian marine halites from North America (two formations of different ages) and the Central and Eastern European basins (eight formations of four different ages) show that Permian seawater shares chemical characteristics with modern seawater, including SO₄²⁻ > Ca²⁺ at the point of gypsum precipitation, evolution into Mg²⁺-Na⁺-K⁺-SO₄²⁻-Cl⁻ brines, and Mg²⁺/K⁺ ratios ∼5. Permian seawater, however, is slightly depleted in SO₄²⁻ and enriched in Ca²⁺, although modeling results do not rule out Ca²⁺ concentrations close to those in present-day seawater. Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ in Permian seawater are close to (slightly below) their concentrations in modern seawater. Permian and modern seawater are both classified as aragonite seas, with Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios >2, conditions favorable for precipitation of aragonite and magnesian calcite as ooids and cements.The chemistry of Permian seawater was modeled using the chemical composition of brine inclusions for three periods: Lower Permian Asselian-Sakmarian (296-283 Ma), Lower Permian Artinskian-Kungurian (283-274 Ma), and Upper Permian Tatarian (258-251 Ma). Parallel changes in the chemistry of brine inclusions from equivalent age evaporites in North America, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe show that seawater underwent secular variations in chemistry over the 50 million years of the Permian. Modeled SO₄²⁻ concentrations are 20 mmol per kg H₂O (mmolal) and 19 mmolal in the Asselian-Sakmarian and Artinskian-Kungurian, with higher concentrations in the Upper Permian Tatarian (23 mmolal). Modeled Ca²⁺ is at or above its concentration in modern seawater throughout the Permian. Mg²⁺ is close to (slightly below) its concentration in modern seawater (55 mmolal) in the Asselian-Sakmarian (52 mmolal), and Tatarian (52 mmolal), but slightly higher than modern seawater in the Artinskian-Kungurian (60 mmolal). Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios are 3.5 (total range = 2.7 to 5.5) in the Lower Permian and rose slightly to 3.7 (total range = 3.1 to 5.8) in the Upper Permian, primarily due to decreases in Ca²⁺. These results are consistent with models that predict oscillations in the major-ion composition of Phanerozoic seawater on the basis of changes in the midocean ridge/river water flux ratio driven by changes in the rate of midocean ridge crust production.The Permian was characterized by low sea levels, icehouse conditions, and southern hemisphere glaciation. Such conditions, analogous to the present ice age, and the similarities between Permian seawater and modern seawater, all suggest that general Phanerozoic supercycles, driven by mantle convection and global volcanicity, also control the major-ion chemistry of seawater.     

'This is like my comfort zone': Senses of place and belonging within Oruāmo/Beachhaven, New Zealand

Abstract:  This paper examines the culturally specific experiences of belonging within Oruāmo/Beachhaven, a suburb in North Shore City. In-depth interviews with 32 caregivers of young children expose the fact that the ethnic groups represented – Māori, Samoan and Pākehā– vary in their uses and understandings of, as well as feelings for, residential neighbourhood. Examination of the themes of natural environment, social relations, continuity of residence, facilities, organisations and place transformation reveal that, while representatives of all groups had views on these matters, there was a variable degree of engagement with and priority afforded to these concerns.     

Confronting hysteresis: Wood based river rehabilitation in highly altered riverine landscapes of south-eastern Australia

This study evaluates an experiment in river rehabilitation which uses large wood to stimulate and emulate natural system processes in an effort to reverse channel degradation, excess sediment transport and habitat simplification that has resulted from two centuries of human induced disturbances, particularly desnagging. The experiment involved the reintroduction of 436 logs (350 t) within 20 engineered log jams (ELJs) over an 1100 m reach. Commencing in 1999, the experiment was set up as a standard BACI design, with a control reach 3 km upstream. In the 5 years since implementing the rehabilitation strategy, the study reach has experienced five floods greater than the mean annual, and a further five events capable of mobilising the gravel bed. Five surveys of channel terrain have been completed since treatment implementation, and the changes to net sediment storage and morphologic diversity assessed in comparison to the control reach. Seven surveys of the fish population in the reach have also been undertaken during the project to measure the ecological response to the introduced wood. The experiment has demonstrated the effectiveness of ELJ technology in achieving engineering and geomorphic goals. To date, the treatment has halted further degradation of the river and increased sediment storage, with the test reach now storing, on average, 40 m³/1000 m² more sediment than in the control. These values, it would appear, represent a new reach-scale dynamic equilibrium storage level over decadal timescales. Additional sediment storage amounts to 3.5 m³/m³ of wood added. At the reach scale this additional storage represents a reduction of just 2% or less of the post-European expansion in channel capacity, suggesting far greater efforts are required than those employed here to reverse the cumulative effects of 180 years of channel erosion and simplification.Pool and bar area in the test reach increased by around 5% and 3.5%, respectively, while the corresponding values in the control were around 1.5% and 1%, respectively. Two indices of morphologic diversity were measured for each bed survey: the standard deviation of 3D residuals of change compared with the baseline survey (SD_iΔ3D); and the standard deviation of thalweg residuals from the line of best fit (SD_iTR). The SD_iΔ3D index shows both reaches increased in complexity through the study with the treatment increasing more than the control (0.37 and 0.29, respectively). The SD_iTR index does not detect clear changes because of the low signal to noise ratio, however, it does suggest the test reach was more complex than the control at the outset. The observed increase in fish abundance after the first 12 months of monitoring, reported previously, is now far less distinct 4 years on — a pattern seemingly reflecting the relatively minor increases in critical pool habitat and habitat diversity over the same period. Although no significant differences were detectable in fish species richness or total abundance from the reach aggregate data after 4 years, analysis of individual structures show them to be high quality habitat for native fish compared to the rest of the reach and the upstream control.These results highlight the challenges river managers face in achieving measurable improvements in the health of aquatic ecosystems in highly altered rivers. Managers must confront hysteresis in a biophysical and institutional sense when attempting to reverse the degradation of rivers. The scale of treatment implemented in this experiment was at the upper end of the spectrum of rehabilitation efforts currently being undertaken in Australia, suggesting that far greater resources and longer timescales are required to achieve the levels of improvement in the diversity of stream habitat expected by the community. The study also highlights problems with the strategy of attempting to meet multiple objectives within a reach scale rehabilitation project. While this treatment successfully met some geomorphic study objectives, maximising the benefits for fish habitat would require a strategy focused primarily on the creation of complex woody habitat within deeper pools, particularly pools immediately below riffles.